At the end of the masterpiece, The Mahabharata, Yudhisthira and a dog meet Indra. Indra tells Yudhisthira that he will take Yudhisthira to heaven if Yudhisthira leaves the dog behind. Yudhisthira refuses and it is revealed that the dog was really Dharma. For passing this test, Yudhisthira is rewarded with heaven. This scene perfectly encapsulates the themes of duty, loyalty, fairness, and dharma and being justly rewarded for such actions that were present throughout the entire Mahabharata.
It is important to note that the dog followed Yudhisthira during the entire journey to heaven. Even when Yudhisthira’s brothers, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, and Sagadeva and their wife, Draupadi, were falling off of the Himalayan mountain range, which is why there was only Yudhisthira and the dog when Indra appeared, the dog continued to follow Yudhisthira. For the dog being so “…highly devoted…” (Mahabharata, p. 109) it was Yudhisthira’s duty to show loyalty to the dog. It is much like how Krsna offered Karna to fight with the Pandavas against the Kauravas since he was a Pandava brother. However, because he was abandoned at birth by Kunti and “…enjoyed sovereignty for thirteen years without let or hindrance,” (Mahabharata, p. 111) with the Kauravas, Karna decided that it was his duty to fight alongside the people who were most loyal to him, the Kauravas.
During the time of The Mahabharata dogs were far from man’s best friends. Dogs were considered impure. Most people would have cast aside a lowly dog for the chance at heaven, especially after being told by Indra himself that “there will be no cruelty in doing so” (Mahabharata, p. 209). However, Yudhisthira choose loyalty over what many people would have considered the common-sense option of Indra’...
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... fighting the Pandavas, he and Gandhari still supported their children once the war began. Dhrtarastra even attempted to kill Bhima after the Pandavas had defeated the Kauravas.
In a very symbolic way Yudhisthira is like Dhrtarastra. He could not see his father even when Dharma was standing right beside him. However, Dharma supported Yudhisthira through the entire journey like only a family member would. Consequently, Yudhisthira’s duty was to treat the dog with the same loyalty he would a known member of his family.
Yudhisthira’s journey to heaven was a trying one. He lost his brothers and his wife during it, yet a random dog followed him the entire way. When given the chance to go to heaven if he would cast off the dog Yudhisthira displayed the fairness, duty, loyalty, and dharma that were present in the rest of The Mahabharata and was rightfully reward for it.
Cesar includes many details explaining the thoughts between wolves and dogs. He is very clear when he explains the differences between a leader and a follower. He also includes Jada Pinkett Smith’s example, to teach us on, how anyone can become a dog leader. Cesar makes it easier for us to understand dogs, by comparing them to humans. Humans and dogs share some qualities. Humans also have packs, according to Cesar, families are most peoples packs. It consists of a leader and followers. In a family's case the parents are the leaders and the children are the followers. We can find different packs in a human's life some examples are: sports teams, schools, governments, clubs, churches, etc. Mark Derr’s article, “Pack of Lies”, lacked information. Mark did not give any experiences from people. Mark’s article was fairly short and he was mainly criticising Cesar, rather than creating his own point and informing the
Vasudeva, the ferryboat captain, was the most important person in Siddhartha’s life. If he hadn’t allowed Siddhartha to live with him and share the beauty of the river, Siddhartha may have never reached Nirvana. Sitting with his pupil by the water and forcing him to listen and look into the depths led Siddhartha to his place of peacefulness.
During his journey with the samanas, he learned to follow many paths that took him away from his self-centered ego. By following and voluntarily suffering through, and eventually overcoming things such as pain, hunger, thirst and fatigue, he was getting closer to what the samanas thought was pure and good. Although he would leave his ego, behind when enduring those scenarios he always came back to his ego, what he and Govinda were working for had only been a lesson in the many teachings and sets of goals they must accomplish to reach the ultimate goal they wanted; redemption (Hesse 14-17).
His "wounds" heal, losing the attachment he had for his son. Siddhartha merges into Unity ; he attains his ultimate goal.
He saw that dog grow into what he raised him to and yet he got rid of him because he had to. How more human a person is to throw his or her own dog away. It must of hurt him so much since he saw his puppy grow into the dog he raised. I once owned a puppy as well, I adopted a puppy, a Chihuahua from the animal shelter. When I brought him home my mother, whom I live with was very upset because she does not like dogs. Moreover she does not like dogs inside of the house. She is not allergic to them nor anyone in my family she just simply did not want the dog inside nor out side of the house. I was very upset because she asked me to get rid of it. I my self did not have the heart to do so and neither did I plan on getting rid of a little innocent dog who had no place else to go. One day as I come home from school I noticed that Pete, my dog was not outside in the driveway waiting for me. Which was strange, so I came inside the house and notice that he did not bark as I came inside and to my surprise my mother got rid of him. She gave it to a friend who has a passion for animals as well. The example I gave reminds me of Turgenev and Marx. Turgenev representing myself, and Marx representing my mother in my
Without their companions, and the lessons learned from them, both Siddhartha and Adam would not have found their individual enlightenment. By abandoning their idealized views of isolation, both protagonists were able to achieve their “good life.” Personal relationships are fulfilling aspects of life, not only in literature. Literature illustrates the principle of companionship so that those who relate with Siddhartha and Adam can develop as well. As a whole, humans can find their happiness in the hearts of
Arjuna is supposed to go to battle against the Kaurava Brothers but he feels that it is unjust and immoral. However, Krishna (the form of divinity) explains that it is the nature of the warrior and it is his righteous duty to fight and maintain his honor. Arjuna is not convinced until Krishna shows him his true, godly form, after which he is awestruck and states “I have seen what has never before been seen. I am filled with delight; my mind is shaken with fear” (135). When Arjuna is finally enlightened, he understands what inner battle he must overcome and affirms his
I’ve always felt that animals are the purest spirits in the world. They don’t fake or hide their feelings, and they are the most loyal creatures on Earth and somehow we humans think we’re smarter. I chose this topic about the canine because, some of these canines risk their life’s to protect dog’s best friend.
The story of Arjuna and his conversation with Krishna, begins before the start of a war with Arjuna’s grandfather. In the Hindu faith Krishna is known as an avatar for the God Vishnu. Vishnu is the as their God/Creator all things. This conversation between the two, is told as an epic poem, known as “The Bhagavad-Gita”. In this poem, Krishna is presented to Arjuna as his charioteer. It is in this conversation that Krishna that he reveals who he is, and delivers onto Arjuna his 18 teachings, of the universe. The Bhagavad-Gita presents many ideas ranging from the true spirt of man, to the sacred duty (dharma) of the individual, society, and the universe. The aim of this paper is to examine these ideas. I’ll first discus Dharma, where it comes from, and how to obtain it. Then I will
...at the key to happiness is an equality of self, knowledge and love. Without these key ingredients the path for harmony becomes twisted and unmanageable. With Siddhartha's wise findings and example, it is much easier to reach the destination of balance. From Siddhartha's philosophies, the most consequential lesson I acquired is not to draw boundaries or label. In Siddhartha's progression, he falters twice, and then attains his goal. He overcame all obstacles, with perseverance, and his life can truly be defined as a legacy. Siddhartha's journey broke a cultural barrier for me and taught me a valuable lesson in acceptance. Not only did Siddhartha's determination cause metamorphoses in his own part, but gave me hope for progress and the achievement of my goals, through implementing his fundamental principles and all that I have previously acquired.
He wonders why people who commit horrible sins such as theft and burglary are able to be loved be their children while he, a man who is able to achieve enlightenment, cannot have the satisfaction and fulfillment of having his child in his life. After his experiences with his son, Siddhartha learns to understand the mindsets of ordinary people, who blindly love their family members and form strong attachments with others and their possessions. He appreciates their tenacity and their livelihood, which he initially opposed when he was a young Samana, eager to meditate and fast to reach an awakening. When Siddhartha experiences the grief that comes with losing a loved one, he observes his reflection in the river, and suddenly notices his resemblance to his father. This shocking realization causes Siddhartha to wonder how his father felt when he left to become an ascetic seeking enlightenment, and if his father experienced the same amount of suffering that he did losing his son. In an effort to purge all of Siddhartha’s pain, Vasudeva teaches his pupil to listen closely to the river and find peace in its flowing water. Siddhartha discovers that the true path to enlightenment doesn’t require completely giving up one’s possessions and living in the wilderness, it requires finding harmony and serenity in the world and accepting your destiny. After Siddhartha achieves peace, Vasudeva says his
It is around this time that it becomes difficult to put dogs into our typical categories of nature and culture, because although dogs were originally just another part of nature, when we began to domesticate them, we made them something more. In fact, in modern days it is even more difficult as we have begun actively breeding them for specific traits, so much so that many would argue modern dogs are essentially technology. From this it becomes clear how perfectly dogs fit into her idea of a companion
It is not surprising that thinkers as diverse as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Mahatma Gandhi have found inspiration in The Bhagavad Gita, the great HINDU religious poem. At first glance, this statement must seem odd to you: after all, The Bhagavad Gita describes a momentary surcease in a vast battle in which brothers fight brothers in bloody, historical technicolor. The principal character, Arjuna, sits in a chariot in the midst of the mass of soldiers who wait -- surprisingly patiently -- as Arjuna looks into his conscience and questions his divine charioteer, Krishna. Krishna's temporary job as charioteer is by no means accidental: this moment before the heat and horror of battle was chosen as precisely the right time to reflect on the nature of duty and devotion. The Bhagavad Gita, then, becomes a record of Arjuna's questions and Krishna's provocative responses.
When the Buddha went to leave his wife and child at the beginning of his renunciation, he couldn’t manage say goodbye to them because the love he had for them was so much. Yasodharā gave him love and support all throughout their marriage and that was hard to leave. She even had prophetic dreams about her future child. Once her husband left her, she was overcome with massive grief. Although, from their past lives she actually knew that he wanted to become a Buddha. Yasodharā can recall her previous lifetimes with her husband in “samsāra” where they loved each other greatly. But despite this, in her present life she felt completely abandoned. She missed, longed, and was concerned for her husband greatly, yet she knew why he left and accepted it. Yasodharā was always thinking about if he was okay and if he was living healthily and well. Eventually, she goes and becomes a nun herself. In her past lives, she explains how she was a consistent devoted lover and wife of Gautama. The Buddha praises her for her sacrifice, her, intellect, and her meditative powers and abilities, for she could “perform miracles” for many people, including the monks. Overall, Yasodharā was a supportive, committed, loving wife in her past lives, and when it was time for her husband to go away she cared for him, and eventually followed him into his path of enlightenment. Without her, Buddha
Siddhartha went through many hard times throughout his journey, even going to the point where he almost committed suicide but Govinda was there for him to keep